Trump now thinks Ukraine could win the war

The latter asserted that Kyiv could regain its territory in its original form and perhaps go even further against Moscow. He also encouraged European countries to shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace.

Yet, since his return to power, the American president has supported the idea that Ukraine would probably have to cede occupied territory in order to end the conflict. 

In February, during a meeting at the White House, Donald Trump even lashed out at President Zelensky, accusing him of disrespecting the United States and not giving their country the gratitude it deserves.

On Tuesday, however, he described the Ukrainian leader as “a courageous man” and said he had a lot of respect for the way Ukraine fights”.

Trump also said he would give himself “a month” before deciding whether to trust Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite his summit with Putin in Alaska in August and several phone calls, the American leader has yet to convince his Russian counterpart to end the war.